Prague springs to intolerance

The Czech Republic, a country that regards itself as intrinsically democratic and tolerant, is in the grips of a strong wave of anti-refugee and anti-Islamic hysteria. Motivated by fear of the unknown and fanned by openly racist media, the darkening mood has encouraged surprisingly extreme discourse on social networks like Facebook.

A certain amount of fear is perhaps understandable. After the deportation of a large German minority from Czechoslovakia in 1945 and after 40 years of communism, Central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Hungary are highly homogeneous and predominantly white. Historically, the Czechs and the Slovaks defined their nationality in terms of language, meaning that if you did not speak Czech or Slovak you were an alien, not to be accepted or trusted.

Xenophobia and racism tend to be strongest where people have never met foreigners or persons of another skin color. But the intensity of the venom directed at immigrants — of whom there are very few in the Czech Republic — in public discourse is staggering.

The Czech Republic recently decided to accept 15 sick Syrian children for treatment in Czech hospitals. Remarkably, in an Internet poll attached to a newspaper article reporting on the story, 83 percent of readers disagreed with the decision.

Those few dozen refugees who occasionally stray onto Czech territory while trying to reach Germany are now being rounded by up Czech police, handcuffed, and incarcerated in immigrant detention centers in Bělá pod Bezdězem and Vyšní Lhoty. Their money and mobile telephones are systematically confiscated.

Several hundred refugees are currently being held, and in a recent riot, many demanded that they be released and allowed to continue their journey to Germany, where they have relatives. The Czech government maintains that it has the right to arrest them and send them back to the first European country by which they originally entered the EU. This usually means Greece or Italy, countries that can hardly cope with an overwhelming influx of refugees and desperately need other EU countries to take on some of the burden.

“No one has invited you” — Czech President Miloš Zeman.

In a promising development, a Czech court decreed that the government has no legal basis for imprisoning and holding refugees, and released an Iranian refugee and his family from incarceration. But the Czech Home Office does not regard the Iranian case as a precedent and continues to detain the remaining refugees, although a few have been released in the past few days and allowed to continue to Germany. A handful of members of pro-immigration NGOs recently demonstrated in Bělá in support of the refugees. Some refugees in Bělá complain that they are not being given sufficient food in the detention center and are undernourished.

In a TV interview with the widely read tabloid newspaper Blesk, Czech President Miloš Zeman told refugees that if they did not like the Czech Republic’s handling of their situation, they should leave: “No one has invited you,” he said. Paradoxically, to leave is exactly what these refugees would like to — but cannot — do. Zeman expressed satisfaction that riot police was mobilized against the refugees in Bělá, advocating that more force be used against them.

Basic instinct

“Some people might regard what I am saying as an appeal to the basest human instincts, but it is the same attitude as that of the Hungarians and of the British Prime Minister David Cameron,” he added. Zeman was elected President in a direct election two and a half years ago on what, at the time, seemed like a left-wing ticket, but has recently started to make increasingly populist, authoritarian and right-wing statements.

On August 17, several hundred Czech academics made a public appeal, demanding that politicians and the media drop the current anti-immigration discourse. Jiří Ovčáček, the spokesperson of President Zeman, rejected the appeal as divisive and elitist.

Commentators have pointed out that the current anti-refugee hysteria is a symptom of a major change of values in the post-communist Czech Republic over the past two years or so. While in the 1990s or 2000s life in the Czech Republic was not perfect, the country was at least pretending that it was aiming to become a Western democracy. Corruption may have been a problem, but it was more or less hidden and whenever it came into the open, it created a scandal.

The situation seems to have changed. The media are no longer bothered by scandalous behavior and politicians flaunt political positions they would have been ashamed of in the past. It is perhaps not surprising in a country where the finance minister’s post is held by Andrej Babiš, one of the most powerful Czech oligarchs, who owns two national newspapers and whose private business receives contracts from his own Ministry. Similar indifference now seems to apply to issues like racism. The phenomenon was succinctly summed up in a recent cartoon: In 2013, a beer-bellied “ordinary Czech” would have said, “I am not a racist, but…” and then he would badmouth non-whites; in 2015, the same “ordinary Czech” says, “I am a racist. So what?”

…The current fear and loathing directed at foreigners and refugees is remarkable, in particular since there are only a few hundred refugees in the Czech Republic.

Social media and the internet have greatly contributed to the legitimization of views that, until recently, would have been regarded as intolerable. A young woman’s recent post on Facebook — in language that would be considered to be from the extreme fringe in other Western countries — is typical of the new national mood: “Our peculiar ethno-cultural microcosm is very precious to us and we mean to protect it jealously. Our grandfathers paid for it with their blood, and we’re sure as hell not going to share it with uninvited guests. After all, our historical experience teaches us that only enemies come uninvited. Kindly mind your own business and stop meddling with our affairs, maybe?”

“Invaders”

In the same vein, much intolerance also been aired by a highly popular Czech language website Parlamentní listy (“Parliamentary Newsletter” — the name is a misnomer, the website has nothing to do with Czech Parliament, it is a purely commercial venture). The site prides itself on being “absolutely open to all views,” but its editorial policy is based on a confrontation of emotional, extreme, usually unsubstantiated, often paranoid opinions.

The website has 600,000 individual readers per month and politicians kowtow to it. Its business model is based on whipping up the emotions of a frustrated contingent of the Czech public, and it publishes widely read-articles likening refugees to “invaders.”

Statements that all refugees and “darkies” should be executed, drowned or sent to gas chambers are regular features on the debating fora of major Czech newspapers and on Facebook. When a boat near the Libyan shore capsized last week and more than 200 refugees drowned, one of the Czech readers reacted by commenting: “Swim harder, darkie. See whether you can reach Europe.” Isolated verbal and physical attacks on dark-skinned people or on people wearing headscarves have also taken place.

Activists led by Martin Konvička, a lecturer at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, have founded an organization called “We do not want Islam in the Czech Republic” and presented an anti-immigration petition signed by 140,000 people to the Czech Parliament in June. Konvička and his followers argue that Islam is a criminal, murderous “ideology” that should be outlawed. In an interview, President Zeman publicly agreed with Konvička, who has now turned his organization into a political party called “The Anti-Islamic Bloc” and plans to run in the upcoming elections.

In a widely watched video interview, Czech TV interviewer Martin Veselovský confronted Konvička about a number of highly inflammatory statements he had made on Facebook, including a call for “concentration camps” for Muslims. Konvička was evasive and said that these statements were “only made on Facebook.”

Last month, Konvička’s activists and other extreme-right-wingers staged an anti-refugee demonstration in Prague to which they brought gallows and nooses and threatened the “pro-refugee” government and liberal citizens. No one has been charged for this: The Czech police carried out an assessment and said that bringing gallows and nooses to a demonstration does not constitute a criminal offence. Most Czechs do not speak foreign languages and thus cannot compare what the local media tells them with what is really going on abroad. Nevertheless, even in this context, the current fear and loathing directed at foreigners and refugees is remarkable, in particular since there are only a few hundred refugees in the Czech Republic and most of those who make it across the border do not even want to stay.

Jan Čulík works as Senior Lecturer in Czech Studies at the University of Glasgow. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Czech-language cultural and political internet daily Britské listy (blisty.cz).

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Robert

Just two details: the online interview with Mr.Konvička was made at a private company, http://www.dvtv.cz, as Mr.Veselovsky has left the public Czech TV over a year ago. And the gallows were brought to another demonstration, not to the one organised by Mr.Konvička. That does not make his views any more acceptable, of course, but still it is perhaps worth noting this.

Posted on 8/21/15 | 8:50 AM CEST

Karel

As always, the argument that there are hardly any immigrants in Czech Republic is used. The key word that immigration happy people forget to use is: YET. If the quotas were established, that would no longer be true. Especially when we have to consider that the stream of refugees isn’t drying out any time soon which would undoubtedly lead to bigger quotas. Offer a finger, they take a hand. I’m sure doctors, dentists and car mechanics would agree that it’s better to prevent a problem from occuring is far better than dealing with it once it’s already here.

Posted on 8/21/15 | 1:53 PM CEST

zewski

Rise up slavic europe

rise up against corrupted islamfied west

Posted on 8/21/15 | 3:23 PM CEST

Ian

Very biased, very non-objective article.

Posted on 8/21/15 | 3:47 PM CEST

Jenda

I wonder where does the author live! I do not understand his claims that “Czech Republic, Slovakia or Hungary are highly homogeneous and predominantly white” or what’s got his claim that “Xenophobia and racism tend to be strongest where people have never met foreigners or persons of another skin color.” got to do with Czech republic.
According to the Czech Statistical Office there’s 441 536 foreighners with long time permit in a country of 10.5 millions plus some 400-500 thousands other semi-legal foreighners, mainly from Ukraine, Moldova and Russia. Where’s the homogenity?
If the author never met a foreighner, then he apparently still lives in a mamahotel and has never ever went shopping.
Even if we were not to count the citizens of the countriesof the former Soviet Union, there’s still the Vietnamese. In huge numbers and WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS whatsoever. Where’s the racism?
But then, the Vietnamese are quiet, hardworking, learn the language, send their kids to school and do not mind their offspring mixing with the locals. They are everything muslims are not!

Posted on 8/21/15 | 4:48 PM CEST

Gabriel

Why was it ok for 300 000 Czech people to emigrate from the Czech Republic after the Prague Spring? If it is so important to stay in your own country? The same can be said of the Hungarians, the Poles and the Baltic states. They all left in droves during Soviet times, but now immigration is wrong? Talk about being hypocritical.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 12:43 AM CEST

Stanislav

“Why was it ok for 300 000 Czech people to emigrate from the Czech Republic after the Prague Spring? If it is so important to stay in your own country? The same can be said of the Hungarians, the Poles and the Baltic states. They all left in droves during Soviet times, but now immigration is wrong? Talk about being hypocritical.” well was there a faction within our immigrants that butchered and raped women? that was denieing women theyr rights? that was creating nogo zones in your countries? that was unwilling to work and obey the laws of the countries they emigrated to? was there a faction that was breaking allmost all human rights? NO! there was none of that when our people ran from comunism is all of the mentioned above in this migrant wave?? YES! look at sweeden look at britain look at france germany!!! open your eyes god dammit world doesnt just spin around you!

Posted on 8/22/15 | 1:59 AM CEST

Ondra

“Most Czechs do not speak foreign languages and thus cannot compare what the local media tells them with what is really going on abroad”

What a load of bullshit. Pretty much anyone can speak either Russian (older generations) or English(current gen). Dont try to make Czech look like some primitives. We know what is happening abroad and thats exactly why we dont want EU to force immigration on us.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 10:44 AM CEST

mhpr262

“Most do not even want to stay” – yes, they all want to move on to Germany! Thank you Czechs for keeping at least a few drops of the Muslim springtide away from my country. You are perfectly right in everything you think and say about Islam. I see and read evidence of that in German newspapers everyday. Too bad German politicians are too stupid to realize we are dealing with an invasion of people who hate us and would see us dead today rather than tomorrow.

We are the world’s most tolerant country and we’d love to stay so! We don’t care what did the pedophile desert thief say. We don’t want his followers forcing their medieval “moral code” on us.
It’s a terrible shame the University of Glasgow employs this Czech-hating neomarxist.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 12:51 PM CEST

Maximus

What you people forget is that there is no legal obligation to accept any of these refugees. If the world worked like this the nation states everywhere would simply collapse because in the anarchy of full-on free movement of people ( as when everyone simply decides that Ethiopia sucks, lets move to Britain or Germany! ). I do not see any reason to accept young muslims backpacking around Europe with their smartphones. I see reason in accepting people willing to work or assimilating into the Czech culture – the Vietnamese community is indeed doing both. Why should we accept economic refugees? Because some of Czech people were taken by western countries after the communist takeover? Listen, I believe that if somebody’s LIFE is threatened – they should be accepted under conditions. But otherwise? This makes no sense, and I feel it is obvious why the Czech people do not want to accept them. We are not racist. Everyone I know accepts the Viets and even others – Ukrainians and Russians – when they show that they are at least trying to LIVE in accordance to Czech laws and customs. Its not about where you are born – but who do you become. Please do not compare intra-European immigration with mass migrations from Africa. It is a wholly different case where there is a legal precedent agreed upon by all constituent countries. We have no such deals with Syria, Ethiopia or wherever else and for reasons. Do you know who went to settle and was accepted to Europe before? Yes it was us – the famed barbarians. And what did these people do? Fuel the collapse of the greatest empire in the history of the Mediterranean. And the situation is so strikingly similar along the lines of consumerism and everything – well whatever. But this article believes it is very smart – but it is not. Personally I am willing to accept anyone in my neighborhood – but not invasives. I do not wish to see the British of French situation where people demand to be rules by the Sharia instead of the local law, and the ensuing crime. You think that for the Czechs the Roma people are the example of hate – but then you must have never met any Roma people. Many try their best and they are accepted. But those who just feed on the government and live in thrash ( BY THEIR OWN CHOICE!!!!! Because they do not want to work and are told from childhood that all whites are evil Nazis ). You cannot just use the statistics without considering the actual situation! I say accept these people – but make them sign an indenture that when the bad situation in their home is over they will be returned. If they naturalize enough and have no problems with the law – allow them to stay! If they break the law, and diassociate with the local culture then I dont see any reason for them to be here. Because its better here? Of course it is. Is that a reason why to give all we have away? No. I understand that people want many things and cannot consider the background and consequences. We all want to be good and improve our karma or something, but actively breaking up your society is not what this means. For Czechs a good example can be the Sudetenland. Czech kings INVITED the german people to settle and work. In 300 years they decided that because they are german, where they live its germany. Then through intrigue and mischief they helped to trigger the biggest changes to the European political landscape in history. Migration must not work like this otherwise the international system is bound to collapse. Not now, but maybe in several generations. You can’t just come anywhere and decide its yours. Can we come to Africa and take land for ourselves? Will they be accepting? Did you know that in Saudi Arabia Christians and Atheist are considered almost-not-people and any transgression is heavily punished? Also in the theme of repetance show me how many people did the Czech nation abuse. How many colonies did we have? Oh wait in the 1800s the Austrian emperors decided that we’re not even worthy of them being coronated with the Czech crown. I feel like we don’t owe anybody anything, and even if we did its so far in the past that its just insanity.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 2:06 PM CEST

Maximus

And once again – where is this xenofobia? You mean the few skinheads and idiots that are making trouble? In a gathering of 50 people? Wow that really represents the Czech xenophobia. Especially considering there is 10 million of us, Im sure that this few uneducated people and some communist old farts who forgot that its no longer 1970 and who do not understand anything beyond the tip of their noses are the best example of the overall trends in Czech society. Im actually quite sure that you can find ALMOST the same group in ANY european country and almost everywhere they will be BIGGER and more POWERFUL. Tell me that the Czechs are more xenophobic than the British. I think its funny how your big xenophobia picture includes ONE SKINHEAD waving a Czech flag. Man. This is the worst of journalism and it just keeps appearing every year written by people who think they’re supersmart about domestic and international politics. Please listen to the other comments. There are 500,000 foreigners in this country – 5% of the population and I have RARELY seen any problem. If anything the racism is against the locals. You don’t see a Czech guy screaming on a Roma guy, but you see a Roma screaming at a Czech for being racist – only because he is better of ( because he has a job and doesn’t live in a dumpster ). Its the same in America. I’ve been there many times, and the only RACISM I saw was against the whites. I saw a white dude in suit calmly walking on the street when a bunch of black women start shouting angry obscenities at him. We look at Ferguson and are like “OH these white Americans are so racist man”, but nobody talks about all the damage and looting by the ‘protesting community’. How do you empower the rights of your community if all you did was break into the Foot Locker to steal some white basketball sneakers. TELL ME.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 2:18 PM CEST

miko

Country with no god in their hearts will be Islamic sooner or later

wake up bohemians and let god in

Posted on 8/22/15 | 2:22 PM CEST

Maximus

It’s just sounds like this Czech – Jan Culik has been living in Britain and fed some nonsense over the last 10 years. What about the africans on Wenceslaw Square – anybody complain about those? No. We all know that they sell diluted cocaine and bad mariujana ( and overpriced ) to tourists. Does anybody hate them even though we know it? No. I don’t even see them arrested by police for their obvious criminal activity and that’s in the VERY center of the nation’s capital boys and girls. Once again, forget statistics and bring us some friggin evidence.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 2:25 PM CEST

Jenda

Miko, how did their God help the Swedish, the French or the British? We don’t want any god ruling over our lives dude! No matter his name.

Posted on 8/22/15 | 4:46 PM CEST

WookieInHeat

but please, do keep crying wolf. the left’s insistence on trying to silence dissent and shut down discussion with simple-minded slurs is only hastening their demise and strengthening the right. thank you!

Culik is typically multiculturalists: useful idiot. His online magazine “BL” in the Czech Republic considered the marginal medium spreading false information, which are characterized by hatred of the original Czech population, Western culture and democracy.

Posted on 8/23/15 | 7:43 AM CEST

Richard

I have exchanged few emails with Mr. Čulík. I consider him as a notorious demagogue and extreme left multicultural fanatic, who is hiding or manipulating simple facts not confirming his worldview. But that is not important, I want to discuss his view on comments on this page:
“Mr. Hujer /me/ you are a comic !
I am very grateful for all comments of fascist Czechs, because they 100% proved/showed the international readers, that my article is absolutely right.
You cannot imagine the consternation of the people outside the Czech Republic reading these “comments”.
I would kindly ask international audience to comment on JČ’s opinion.

Posted on 8/23/15 | 10:01 AM CEST

Simona

Mr.Culik, if we Czechs are so big racists, what do you think about British activies not to allow refugees to come to Britain from Calais?

Posted on 8/23/15 | 7:39 PM CEST

Prash

I am an immigrant in the Czech Republic , and I am not white . I have been living here for 8 years now , and I can definetly say that czech people are not xenophobic or intolerant , I actually faced more racism in the UK than in CZ .

Posted on 8/23/15 | 8:00 PM CEST

E.K.

We have an idiom in Czechia: “Crapping into one’s own nest.” This article is a living demonstration of the concept.
Funnily enough, Mr. Čulík himself left Czechia decades ago and made his living in Britain, losing any grasp of local perspective in the process. For some reason, he refuses to understand that nations of the world have their own specifics: judging Czechs by British measures would be just as silly and improper as judging Brits by Czech measures.

Of course, there are racists in every nation. However, your average Czechs are not racists, they’re merely self-centred and overprotective. I guess it’s partly due to our border mountains; we’re an enclave of “our own”, separated and untouched by the rest of the world. The Czech word for homeland, “vlast”, is cognate to the verb “vlastnit” (“to own”), both of them directly stemming from pan-Slavonic word “vlast”, meaning “power” or “rule”. Sure, our “vlast” is not much: an old impact crater encircled by a wall of mountains. But it is ours, we rule here, we keep to ourselves and the rest of the world should better keep their hands off. Here is our place, here we stand, and we are not moving – not for you, not for anybody. Your way of life, your god, your culture: nothing of that is relevant here. If you expect to live among us, you need to leave your cultural baggage at the door, or even better, burn it down and toss the ashes into the river.
Is it xenophobia? Sure, you could call it that way. But it’s also the major reason we still exist as a nation, despite invasions, despite centuries of foreign rule. We move for nobody.

Posted on 8/23/15 | 11:22 PM CEST

agx

East look at West and see immigrants or their childrens who: burining cars in the suburbs, blow themselves up,, slit throat, shoot satirists or passengets in trains.
I don’t know how is in Czechy , Slovakia or Hungary, but in Poland immigrants will get money unattainable for many working people in Poland. It causes anger. The more current polish goverment is trying to take migrants – the more lose election in the autumn (of course this won’t be the only reason for losing)

Posted on 8/24/15 | 12:03 AM CEST

RICHARD

Problem of Mr. Čulík is maybe not that he is an extreme leftist or his opinions – islamophila etc.. He has a right for them to have. His problem is trying to establish his worldview as the only civilised, human and right. Not speaking about rasiscts, primitives which are part of every society. Those opinions who disagree with his extreme views – and I am consider myself as a liberal – he sentences better as incorrect, but usually as “criminal”, “fascist” etc. He could by very dangerous person, yet he has very limited influence. Fortunately. May he live forever…. 🙂

Posted on 8/24/15 | 12:04 AM CEST

Justin

LOL @ the comments unironically confirming the truth of the article.

Posted on 8/24/15 | 10:52 AM CEST

Tonda Bejval

Well, Mr Culik as a Havloid and member of the “Truth and Love” faction in Bohemia (i.e., people who preach truth and love but are as a rule hypocrites who lie, hound, slander and maliciously defame their opponents using made-up “facts”, their guru and god being the late Mr Havel who was exactly like that) cannot write in anything but in this line. For him, Czechs are dirty animals who don’t and won’t see the exalted wisdom of the European Union and of such people as himself. Just a small fact (mentioned already in comments by Jenda), in the Czech Republic there live hundreds of thousands of foreigners, white or otherwise – Russians, Vietnamese (known and by many admired for their hard work), Ukrainians, Poles, Germans, US-Americans, Africans etc., without any problems at all, fully integrated into their surroundings. So Mr Culik is simply lying, which is – as I know from longtime reading of his texts – second nature to him. To illustrate a different point – some time ago, he boasted in an internet discussion his excellent English, just to put down his opponents who in his opinion simply didn’t understand the issue in question which had been previously described in English, but he himself obviously didn’t know and couldn’t understand the English phrase “you can’t or you won’t ?”. That’s him in a nut. As I say, such behavior originates often in a justified inferiority complex.

Posted on 8/24/15 | 5:21 PM CEST

TheRealista

Indeed, the European countries ought to cooperate and show solidarity with one another but certainly NOT in the way the author and the pathetic EU politicians would like us to believe. I do like the current US presidential frontrunner Mr. Trump’s idea – to build an impenetrable large, tall wall which would keep all the Muslims out of Europe. As in Europe, there is a Maritime border – this would be done in the form of a joint EU- countries Naval patrol actions with the aim of isolating Europe from the influx of Muslim refugees.
Furthermore, the author should be ashamed of himself for trying to paint the Czechs as intolerant, xenophobic Nazis. In the Czech republic, in Prague – there is a large expat community from UK, US an d many other countries who can attest to Czech being very welcoming, open and friendly to them.
And more importantly, there is a large Vietnamese community (which immigrated to the Czech republic after the Vietnam war) and the cohabitation with the Czech native majority works without major tensions. The Vietnamese people have assimilated themselves into the Czech society very well. There are no pogroms, no racial attacks, no discrimination, no racial violence.
The living together is most definitely much more harmonious and smooth than for instance that of the white majority and black minority in the US.
The Czech have simply a well-grounded fear of the aggressive, militaristic and expansionary Islamic ideology. That is all.
The great and only Christopher Hitchens speaking about Islam and its expansion. Resist Islam while you can …

Posted on 8/24/15 | 6:41 PM CEST

richard

justin or justina, /lol anyway/, you do not have any argument, do you ?

Posted on 8/25/15 | 12:31 AM CEST

richard

To Tonda Bejval: Havel is pretty much ok for me, but he is dead. Why do you think that he would argue in the same way as Mr.Culik ? You are also extreme, I mean you are in some way right, but you are passing ammunition to Čulík’s like… I hate this hatred speech of “truth and love” and “havloids”…this is a style of primitives, populists and former communists Wake up!

Posted on 8/25/15 | 12:37 AM CEST

Moosa

I see some comments by Czech arguing that Czech being “most tolerant” country etc. Who is going to believe that? For me it sounds like a purported survey where Greek claimed that they are most hardworking people in the world..

These east european countries have a history of treating Gypsies in a very brutal and inhumane way. That was a systematic discrimination based on race. On top of that there is little ethnic or religious diversity, because that is not tolerated.

Probably it is true that there are a few Vietnamese there in Czech who are running restaurants, massage parlors, and some others who are wiping tables etc., but that does not mean that they do not suffer any racism there.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 1:39 AM CEST

Moosa

To E.K: As a Czech, you were very honest and was probably making a very fair assessment. It is upto Czech people(not to EU, UN etc.) to mandate who/what/how much should be accepted into their societies. Your treatment of Romas and also Syrians are deplorable by some higher standards, but that is the rule which you have set for yourself in your land, fair enough.

But it is hypocritical then when some other Czechs try hard to portray a wrong picture of Czech being a tolerant country. If you really do not care about foreigners, esp. those from other cultures, there would not be any need to worry what others would think as well. I guess here the reason by some other Czechs to argue(falsely) that they are kind to others is the urge to be seen as open and liberal in a globalized world, regardless of xenophobia

Posted on 8/25/15 | 1:54 AM CEST

richard

Moosa: Vietnamese community is quite large in Czech Republic. Despite some minor issues inside their community – paying taxes, soft drugs dealing – they do not suffer at all. Very few czech skinheads – I will give you a penny if you a meet a one – are simply giving no attention to them, no attacks, no nothing against them. My daughter has a lot of vietnamese friends, they are normal teenagers with iPhones and hardworking parents. They study and usually have better results than average czech students, they are generally premiants. No religion or culture problems. So where is your argument? No argument at all…just a bias.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 2:48 AM CEST

richard

To Moosa: Not speaking that marking the whole population /Czechs/ is the racism and xenophobia in its purest form. Do you feel shame? I would do so, being you.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 2:57 AM CEST

Marek

Well after reading this article I considered you Mr. Konvicka as a traitor…but then I started to thinking and looked at comments bellow and calmed down….You are just a pitty small man who needs some attention. Maybe Czechs are a little bit overprotective about their country, nation and families but still…just read comment bellow you will understand..and I want an apology from you to all Czechs, hezky den

Posted on 8/25/15 | 7:07 AM CEST

Moosa

To richard: Tolerance by definition means being kind to someone who is different to your kind. If these Vietnamese had to completely pretend that they are ethnic Czechs inorder to escape skinheads, then that is not saying that society is tolerant (OK, they cannot change their skincolour, but given the tendency of some far east Asians to “Caucasianize”, they would even try by dying their hair blond etc.)

Also probably Vietnamese are small in number, with the assurance that there are not many more to come.

Another factor would be in which areas they compete with Czechs for economic gains and sexual needs. If Vietnamese people run their own business with little competition to Czechs, then they are not treated as threats as such, so even if there is racism, that would rarely result in violence.

Even if 10% of what is written in the article is true and also seeing the comments which validate them, I find it a very repulsive culture. Not that I would want to live there ever, but I would even consider Czechs not worthy of participating in a global culture outside Czech republic, say in a very international society

Posted on 8/25/15 | 9:33 AM CEST

richard

To moosa: Unfortunately You are not able to understand written text. Luckily enough you do not decide who is “not worthy of participating in a global culture outside Czech republic, say in a very international society”. You are probably a racist saying what you are saying.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 10:06 AM CEST

Tonda Bejval

Dear Richard: in your snippets you mostly argue pretty well but I’m afraid you have read my text only superficially. I don’t say how Havel would react – he’s dead so who knows – but that he “was exactly like that” – he lied, slandered, defamed and stole (those 50 or 200 millions around the Lucerna business, with that staged family row as embellishment for the stupider part of the public). In this I’m of course right and not extreme in the least, and you’ll find corroborative facts rather easily if you want to. The “Truth and Love” is not my invention but an outstanding element of speeches of Havel and his camarilla (that’s the right word, Germans say “Speichellecker”). I’m neither a primitive nor a populist or former communist and “Havloid” (created in the pattern of ooid and parasitoid) is quite a good word describing those people. Or maybe you know a better word? What do you think of the current idea to let people pay for the use of Havel’s name when they want to erect a bench or name a square in his memory? I hope they will be cured from their adoration.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 12:41 PM CEST

Moosa

To richard: calling a racist culture so will not make me a racist.

Your attempt to paint a rosy picture of Czech tolerance by talking about some odd Vietnamese is rather naive and misleading.

There are racists everywhere, but the discussion here is what makes a society as a whole racist? There are racists in UK for sure, but if you ask me whether British society as a whole is racist, the answer is a definite NO. Because UK has already accepted millions of foreigners(partly due to its own history) and you can see Blacks/Muslims/Jews etc. in every sphere of life in UK.

But in eastern European countries like Poland, Czech republic, Slovakia etc. you would rarely see any tolerance towards other religions, races, and ethnicity and it seems to me that they are proud about their bigotry as well.

If as someone else honestly agreed, it is the way it is, I have no problem as well. Here key is expectation management. Just because a country is in EU does not mean they are open and tolerant.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 12:44 PM CEST

richard

moosa: yes, we from Central Europe – Prague is west relative to Wien, Budapest etc– maybe se a result of muslim immigration in some western countries and do not want to repeat the mistakes. Yes, militant islam is the problem and the only problem for most of us. Is it supposed to be a “bigotry” in one of most atheist conunty? Anyway, You can place your stickers.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 1:22 PM CEST

richard

and moosa: You must be joking or you are Mr. Čulík…Tell my please why for example french Jews want to leave France ?? Wake up. We do not have such problems, Jews, Blacks, Asiats, other Europeans are perfectly safe in CZ….

Posted on 8/25/15 | 1:34 PM CEST

richard

Tonda: Ok, you may be right your points bat VH is really not a problem for me while MZ, his suite, AB and many others are. And I would apologise and better leave that theme because it is not the main topic here.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 2:13 PM CEST

Moosa

To Richard: My point: militant Islam is not the reason for Xenophobia of Czech, Poland etc. If some countries like France which have accepted Muslims have some right to complain.

There is a reason why some countries like Germany were keen to accept more Muslims. Those western european countries are big beneficiaries of a global supply chain and global capital movement. Arabs saved a good number of French, German and British companies during peak of financial crisis.
Czech republic has no such situation probably, and never bothered about other cultures

Posted on 8/25/15 | 2:37 PM CEST

richard

Moosa: As already explained in many comments before and you can come to check the reality: there is no xenophobia in the Czech Republic. Or it is very minor. Islamophobia? Probably, yes. Good or bad? Let’s judge it after 20- 30 years….

Posted on 8/25/15 | 7:59 PM CEST

Jindra

I am a Czech. The current wave of what I see as hitlerite, pro-Kremlin racist filth did not really come as a surprise to me since I know my country all too well. Still, it is just too much. My application for US citizenship went into the mail yesterday. I am a working man and I will see to it that no results of my work benefit this crowd.

Posted on 8/25/15 | 11:33 PM CEST

Moosa

@richard: As per the author and also seeing some of the comments, problem is not just “Islamophobia”, but a wider racism (see “darkies” etc.). Not that I believe that Islamophobia is something very trivial as you put it. With some minor exceptions, tolerance within Central/Eastern Europe is restricted to fellow Slavik folks at best.

But Czech rep. was never an empire, or a big global player, so it is unreasonable to expect such a homogeneous, closed culture to accept tens of thousands of refugees like some others would do. But that doesn’t warrant the brutal police treatment to couple of hundred odd Muslim refugees, at-least by the norms of any civilized nation.

A country that is exceptionally liberal towards immigrants is Sweden, despite being very small and otherwise homogeneous. Whether Swedish idealism or Czech pragmatism is better, we have to wait and see in another 20-30 years as you put it.

Posted on 8/26/15 | 12:03 AM CEST

Ondra

wow Moosa please tell me more about my country.

Posted on 8/26/15 | 11:08 AM CEST

richard

Ondra: Moosa is ridiculous, no sense to argue with him or her. Enough is that Moosa is writing about saving some German and French brands by muslim workers – where this info come from ? 🙂 On the other hand Moosa does not react on de facto Expulsion of Jews…now from France, more to come..seems like a reasonable price for hypothetical economic pros? Oh my…

Posted on 8/26/15 | 11:36 AM CEST

bubak

Moosa was never actually in CZE, doesn’t even know its geographical position, I am not even talking about her/his history knowledge, but definitely knows more about it than us czech citizens. 😀 WOW

Posted on 8/26/15 | 12:11 PM CEST

Richard

Report: Xenophob, namely oikophob Jan Čulík spreads hate between former western and eastern block. They are currently EU and NATO members, but Čulík following the line of hate to western civilisation triesl to push Central Europe to “East” . No matter what is his motivation – either perverted mind or money from Putin or his supporting network – could be also EU foundation etc…He lies and lies, he will get no followers…

Posted on 8/27/15 | 12:03 AM CEST

Jeff

As a foreigner here, I can attest to the existence, ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ The article has merit and one should keep in mind Prague is more cosmopolitan. As for comments mentioned, I don’t think they are official responses and as a Yank would not feel comfortable people using youtube video comments as a reflection of American society. Returning to Czech, it is very homogeneous compared to our neighbors and the vast majority of immigrants come from Ukraine and Russia (Slavic in nature). Typically foreigners are either regulated to operating convenience stores, the handful of African immigrants to Wenceslas, and Westerners to teaching English (for the most part unless there was a relocation to multinational firm). My own opinion the nation is as racist (*the exception is when it comes to the Roma) as other countries but would be surprised if an ignorant comment goes beyond that. Xenophobia, I would say on casual day to day experience they are not xenophobic. As for socialising and etc; I would say the culture is naturally skittish and it takes time to get beyond a superficial friendship.

Posted on 8/27/15 | 6:54 PM CEST

TheRealista

To Jeff: Nothing wrong with your observations/comments.
Just one thing – in case your remark of you being uncomfortable of people using “ignorant Youtube comments” to judge America….
That guy making the “ignorant comments” was one the US top journalists/commentators and intellectuals of the past 2 decades – it must have been hard for you not be aware of it.
As I do not want to clutter the forum with links – just go to Youtube and type – Christopher Hitchens Charlie Rose, Christopher Hitchens Hannity. Or go to the C Span website and type his name and you get literally tens of his appearances on the Washington Journal commenting politics etc., appearances on panel debating various issues such as death penalty, religion, literature…
And I do have reiterate that we do not have racial violence, racial riots of disgruntled minority protesting police violence as you guys DO have.
Lastly, look at the pictures of the recent gay Prague Pride Prague held in Prague annually.
Would these events take place in a country on a slide toward right wing extremism ?
You literally do not get any violent responses against these events and you would have to search hard for any meaningful protest against them at all.

Posted on 8/28/15 | 10:23 AM CEST

piotr

Well, I struggled through Čulík’s article – an impressive collection of imputations, grievances and condemnations against the public opinion in Czech R., mostly based on some vehemently dug-out statements made on social networks etc – and now I’m quite clear on the quality of the author: just another prime example of those few grants-nourished left-leaning Eastern ‘intellectuals’ being never tired of defaming and transfiguring their own country of origin at the Western campuses by presenting them as backward, ignorant, still to be re-educated Europe’s borderlands. Actually the Czech people, as other in CEE, are more than aware about what’s going on in “culturally enriched” cities of NW Europe.

@Gabriel – Not to be forgotten the Polish and Czechoslovak quite decisive at some moments (Battle of Britain) share in fighting the Nazi-Germany for the liberation of Western Europe. These were our Western Allies who defaulted on their alliance and sold out our Freedom to Soviets (Czechoslovakia was one of the richest countries in the world before the IIWW; the least they could offer was to offer some shelter for the discharged soldiers or to the people fleeing the Communist paradise. Those Central-Europeans never posed and threat to prosperity, culture or law of Western receipting countries

Posted on 8/28/15 | 1:48 PM CEST

Richard

Gabriel: you are a ridiculous ignorant :-))

Posted on 8/28/15 | 7:43 PM CEST

otilia

Shame of you. Where is your humanity?

Posted on 8/28/15 | 8:58 PM CEST

Gabriel

Patrik: That is beside the point. I’m not here to discuss WW2. I’m perfectly willing to admit that some things I wrote about WW2 might be wrong, but we are not here to discuss WW2. It’s very telling that you ONLY answered the part about WW2 and nothing else.

So, please tell me how many immigrants from Iraq did your country Czech Repbulic recieve after you and the americans helped to destroy that country? There is a direct link between the Iraq invasion of 2003 and ISIS of today. That is a fact. Take some responsibility.

Posted on 8/30/15 | 1:05 AM CEST

Jindra

Gabriel: Do not get so defensive so easily. In fact, western countries do not owe our dear Czech Republic anything regarding Munich treaty. When Putin’s Russia turned to the “defense of its compatriots”, the Czech president even planned a visit to a parade of Russian armies and a great part of the Czech nation hailed him for that. The Czech nation forfeited all right to criticize the Munich treaty right there, because under much less pressure they turned into much more vile, disgusting, fearful and appeasement-minded people than what the Munich powers ever were.

Posted on 8/30/15 | 5:22 PM CEST

richard

Jindra: You are comparing Munich treaty to Milos Zeman, voted by minority and not having any influence at all ?? Prague is one of the most cosmopolitan city in Europe, you have to learn this. MZ has received his dose of eggs and tomatoes here….Anyway he is a negligible old alcoholic, but that’s all. There were/are plenty of terrible politics in EU – Hollande, Berlusconi, Schroeder, Mitterande, …do not judge a nation because odf some wieirdos.. What kind of drugs are you using? You are full of hate to czech nation, you are a real xenophobe.

Posted on 8/30/15 | 7:58 PM CEST

Jindra

Richard: Well, I can remember pretty well the praise the beloved Kremlin leader got for his aggression throughout the Czech lands–and that same pro-Kremlin hitlerite filth wants to preach about Munich treaty. That same Czech pro-Kremlin hitlerite filth now wants to build concentration camps for war refugees and deny citizenship rights for anyone who dares oppose them–and they want to preach about tolerance. Well, good luck with that, and good bye

Posted on 8/30/15 | 9:31 PM CEST

richard

Jindra: Slow down, you are using strong words without a reason. Try ty control your emotions a bit….Correlation between pro-Kremlins and extreme xenophobes is there as everywhere. But it is marginal. Me, I am very anti-russian-nationalism, anti-Putin. No wonder, Soviet Union invaded my country and occupied it for 20 better 40 years. Not speaking about implameting soviet communism after WW2. At the same time I do not want islam immigration in Czech republic. Why to repeat mistakes made by leftist politicians throughout Europe selfishly trying to increase the voting base??

Posted on 8/30/15 | 10:19 PM CEST

Jindra

Richard: I am glad to hear that there are still some disagreements between your likes, it gives me more time to get my family and my property out of the country. That is about all I have to say about that.

Posted on 8/30/15 | 11:28 PM CEST

richard

Jindra: Good luck. CU in 30 years. We will assess your immigration request fairly…:-) Just a joke.

richard

To be even more clear: To be clearly undrestood: I am pro-immigrant. Christian refugees from islamofascist countries, Vietnamese, Ukrainians, Kurds, blacks, yellow, white, violet, green…even Swedes, Germans, Austrians etc 🙂 just a joke …are ALL welcome in Czech republic. We are one of the most tolerant countries in EU. No Le Pen, no UKIP or similar parties, I mean with influence… no refugee houses burning etc. So.. wtf where is the merit of this senseless article and some approving reactions?

Posted on 9/1/15 | 1:01 AM CEST

Rob

The Czechs should just consider leaving the European Union. They clearly do not share European ideals. They can just stop being black passengers/white-gypsies and go back and live under Mother Russia’s skirts with the rest of the primitives.

Posted on 9/5/15 | 3:49 PM CEST

Corstiaan

Well, there’s a lot going on in Czech Republic. Cashing bulks of money from Brussels to finallay repaire there roads and sewerages, Czech-people are refusing refugees. They want money from Europe but do not want te give anytging in return. As long de Czechs think like beasts, they will be treat like beasts. So I suggest: stop giving Europe money, let them talk there own language.
The media could help to develope there intelligence by not-synchonies movies, interviews and so on. The Czechs think problaby that the whole world speaks Czech. Well, I did met only a little few Czech that can speak English or German. Shame over the Czechs. Those who speak abroad are far more intelligent I noticed. So read and view foreign papers and look to foreign broadcast. If not Czech Republic will remain a developping country without progress.

Posted on 9/7/15 | 3:06 PM CEST

Petr

Rob: Uncontrolled muslim immigration is a “European ideal”???

Posted on 8/23/16 | 7:27 AM CEST

Johann M. Wolff

“Gabriel
Patrik: That is beside the point. I’m not here to discuss WW2. I’m perfectly willing to admit that some things I wrote about WW2 might be wrong,”

Then why did you write about WW2 ?
Absurd.

Posted on 8/23/16 | 10:16 AM CEST

Johann M. Wolff

Perhaps the Czech just have seen what’s going on in Germany where we have ghettos and even those migrants with Muslim background who came to us in the ’60s didn’t integrate into the society. Never mind, Hartz IV keeps many of them happy meanwhile we can pay exorbitant taxes on everything.

If you’re curious about opinions in Germany (that doesn’t differ much from the one in Czech, just we’re more careful so we won’t be labelled as “nazis”) , you can check the comments’ section of large news like Dice Welt.